“We are pleased to support state associations and their members in their quest to raise their professional standards through this valuable professional development program,” said Leslie G. Sarasin, president and chief executive officer, FMI.

The FIAE Professional Development Fund is a grant/scholarship program to assist in and encourage the professional development of state association executives. It is a program to encourage and stimulate creative thought and knowledge about association management.

The FMI Foundation, created in 1996, is a not-for-profit corporation affiliated with FMI. The Foundation seeks to ensure continued quality and efficiency in the food system and is operated for charitable, educational and scientific purposes.

Food Marketing Institute proudly advocates on behalf of the food retail industry, which employs nearly 5 million workers and represents a combined annual sales volume of almost $800 billion. FMI member companies operate nearly 33,000 retail food stores and 12,000 pharmacies. FMI membership includes the entire spectrum of food retail venues; single owner grocery stores, large multi-store supermarket chains, pharmacies, online and mixed retail stores. Through programs in public affairs, food safety, research, education, health and wellness and industry relations, FMI offers resources and provides valuable benefits to almost 1,000 ­­­food retail and wholesale member companies and serves 85 international retail member companies. In addition, FMI has almost 500 associate member companies that provide products and services to the food retail industry. For more information, visit www.fmi.org and for information regarding the FMI Foundation, visit www.fmifoundation.org.